SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 15: Ryan Vogelsong #14 of the Pittsburgh Pirates salutes the San Francisco Giants fans as he leaves the field after he was taken out of the game in the bottom of the six inning at AT&T Park on August 15, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Vogelsong played for the Giants from 2001-2001 and 2011-2015. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) less

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 15: Ryan Vogelsong #14 of the Pittsburgh Pirates salutes the San Francisco Giants fans as he leaves the field after he was taken out of the game in the bottom of the six inning at ... more

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

Ryan Vogelsong, Tim Lincecum: ex-Giants on different paths

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Ryan Vogelsong warmed the hearts of Giants fans, tried to keep his emotions in check - he failed - and pitched the Pirates to victory over his old team.

Meantime, the other guy kept stumbling.

Both Vogelsong and his partner on the First Year As Former Giants Tour were on the mound Monday night but worlds apart. One was experiencing a love-in, the other another flameout.

Tim Lincecum could only dream what Vogelsong experienced, a rousing reception and appreciation for his stories and successes in a Giants uniform. It appears Lincecum might not get that chance. He’s a Salt Lake Bee, for goodness sakes.

About 1 ½ hours before Vogelsong took the mound at AT&T Park, Lincecum did so at Smith’s Ballpark, a place in Salt Lake City named after a food and drug store. Lincecum was pulled after 4 1/3 innings. He trailed 3-0 in the first inning and surrendered four runs on four hits (including two homers) and four walks.

Lincecum’s still trying to figure it out post-hip surgery. He told reporters in Utah there’s an issue with his command because of an issue with his arm angle because of an issue with his landing leg. He’s trying to fix the mechanical flaw in the minors so he can return to the majors.

Who knows if it’ll happen. It has been a long time since Lincecum has been Lincecum. He lasted nine starts with the Angels, most of which were tough to watch. The ERA was 9.16, the WHIP 2.374. He was designated for assignment and accepted a demotion to Triple-A rather than his release.

Lincecum still is No. 1 in the hearts of many fans years after he won his Cy Young Awards and led the Giants out of the Barry Bonds administration and into the championship era.

Asked about the strangeness of facing ex-Giants, manager Bruce Bochy said, “The one that probably would’ve been really strange is if we faced Timmy.”

I’ve heard from many fans that they’d like to see a Lincecum statue one day. That’s heavy stuff. Imagine if Lincecum did return to San Francisco in another uniform. It might be 10 times bigger than Vogelsong’s triumphant return.